Brandel Chamblee will continue to be a significant part of NBC Sports' golf coverage this summer after the experienced broadcaster was confirmed as one of two lead analysts for the upcoming US Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in June.
NBC has opted to roll out a four-man booth for the third men's Major of the year, with Chamblee and Brad Faxon taking it in turns to provide color commentary as Dan Hicks and Mike Tirico alternate play-by-play duties.
The NBC crew will set up as follows during 'prime hours' - Tirico and Faxon will cover all of the odd-numbered holes at the US Open while Hicks and Chamblee will take all of the even, leaving the latter pair to bring it home down 18 on Sunday.
Also a part of NBC's team for the US Open will be Gary Koch and Roger Maltbie - broadcasters who had not worked with the network since 2022 before making welcome appearances on Thursday and Friday at The 2024 Players Championship.
According to Sports Business Journal's Josh Carpenter, the move was so well received that network bosses opted to sign both on for all four days of the US Open.
But Chamblee's place as the closing color commentator effectively means he is NBC's prime choice as lead analyst. Never one to trip over his words, Chamblee has developed a reputation during his two decades with Golf Channel as something of a controversial commentator in that fans either love or hate his takes.
But NBC executives are certainly on board, as the company's lead golf producer Tommy Roy explained after the decision was made.
Roy said: “There was an unbelievable amount of preparation that he put into this. Watching old Johnny Miller tapes to learn how he did it and then putting his own twist on it... He’s earned the right.”
Current PGA Tour pro, Kevin Kisner has also been a popular voice in his handful of appearances in the booth, but the South Carolina native revealed last week that he would not be available for consideration at Pinehurst as he had agreed to go away for a friend's birthday.
In the same interview, the 40-year-old effectively ruled himself out of taking over from Paul Azinger as NBC Sports' next lead golf analyst as he still wanted to continue playing on tour.
Kisner and Chamblee are just two of several faces that NBC has utilized since the decision to part ways with Azinger was made - with Faxon, Jim 'Bones' Mackay, Notah Begay III, and Luke Donald all performing the substitute role on occasion.
But keen to rotate recently-used talent, NBC has confirmed that Donald will be a key part of its Open Championship coverage at Royal Troon later this summer.
Team Europe's winning Ryder Cup captain sat in the lead analyst chair at the Cognizant Classic and the Arnold Palmer Invitational earlier in the season, and he will do so again for all four days in Scotland during July. Faxon will remain on board as well, although Tirico's status is currently unknown with the Olympic Games in Paris beginning just days later.
In terms of actual coverage relating to the third men's Major of the season, NBC has confirmed that it will cut back on commercial breaks throughout the week. The final hour of the US Open will remain commercial-free - just as it has done in recent years - due to a sponsorship deal with Rolex. Meanwhile, there will be four ad breaks during prime hours in the afternoon compared to the usual six.
Plans for the upcoming Presidents Cup and Olympic Games will be revealed at a later date.
